I was sick all day yesterday. I slept some (3 hours?) and took it pretty easy. I packed fluids and vitamin C, and had several small meals during the day. Mostly I sat in front of the computer, and with the help of some cold medicine I got some coloring done.

I also lost 2.5 pounds.

I weigh myself every morning at the same time, on the same scale, and I think this is the single biggest one-day weight loss I’ve ever recorded. I lost the weight without fasting, without exercising, and without really being hungry. Apparently fighting off a sickness requires a lot of calories.

It’s nice to lose the weight, but I’d rather not drop it quite that quickly. This morning I feel shaky and weak, and still a little sick.

Headache. Chills. Sore throat. Inability to focus for more than a few Sandra is mowing the lawn right now, and it’s making me thirsty.

What was I saying? Oh. Yeah. Drink of water.

Double-whammy today… the arm hurt, AND I woke up with one of the worst post-nasal-drip sore throats I’ve had in ages. No fever, but it’s pretty obvious I’m coming down with something. I packed vitamin C all day, but I may be out of action tomorrow.

I spoke to a Physician’s Assistant today in his unofficial capacity as my neighbor and friend. He did a quick, informal diagnosis (“sounds like tendonitis to me,”) and confirmed my suspicion — if I go to the doctor he’ll prescribe anti-inflammatories (Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and/or Acetaminophen), ice-packs, and maybe mild heat-treatment prior to activity. He then agreed with my course of action which is “do all that stuff, and then see a doctor if it’s not getting better.”

The plan, then — buy some Aleve and Tylenol, and keep a steady supply of those in my system (treating Aleve and Advil as if they’re the same thing, because they operate on the same path, and taking especial care not to overdo it with the Tylenol because I only have the one liver). Icy-hot the arm in the morning before doing any drawing, and ice-pack the arm every couple of hours in the afternoon as I take breaks from pencilling and inking.

It may be a moot point tomorrow, though… I half expect to be in bed sick all day.

For what seems like months now I’ve had low-level pain in my right elbow and upper forearm.

While at Penguicon I discovered that it was hurting a LOT — so much, in fact, that I deigned to allow others to assist me with my luggage (I carried what I could in my left hand only) and shot left-handed at Geeks with Guns.

Eric S Raymond heard me griping about it and gave it a quick palpitation. He pronounced “tendonitis” as the diagnosis, and prescribed lots of ibuprofen and some heat. Indeed, that seemed to work well.

This week I scratched out a week of strips, but it took a long time (three work-days rather than the usual 1.5) because my arm kept getting tired quickly.

Today I painted a miniature. When I lowered my arms after finishing, my right elbow said “I’ve been quiet up until now, but since I see that you’re done I’m going to hurt so much that you are going to become physically and mentally exhausted. Ready? OW!” And sure enough, within minutes I was drained. I took some ibuprofen, but as anti-inflammatories go it was too little, too late (read “you shouldn’t take that much, and you should take it sooner.”)

I suppose I could stop working for a couple of weeks — I’ve got the buffer for it, certainly — but I don’t want to. Work is what I DO. If I’m not working I’m BORED, and boredom sucks. So I’m going to be more religious about taking the ibuprofen BEFORE work, lubing up with Icy-Hot, and maybe (just MAYBE) compensating by doing all of my erasing left-handed.

I may also try to find a way to work the word “tendonuckingfitis” into casual conversation, but only when I’m out of ibuprofen.